


on the house

by afjakwrites



Series: afjak writes flash fanfiction [29]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang runs a bakery, Actor Zuko, Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Crushes, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-15
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25290646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afjakwrites/pseuds/afjakwrites
Summary: When Zuko runs into a bakery to hide from a mob of fans, the last thing he expects to do is develop a crush on the owner.
Relationships: Aang/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: afjak writes flash fanfiction [29]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1619170
Comments: 34
Kudos: 350





	on the house

**Author's Note:**

> _138\. Celebrity running from fans_

The second Zuko is sure he’s lost the mob of fans tailing him, he throws the door to the nearest shop open and ducks inside, pulling his hood over his head as he does so. The bell rings, signaling his entrance, and he rushes away from the door while he tries to catch his breath. He’s standing there, staring at the ground with his hands on his knees and panting profusely when an airy voice sounds from somewhere in the distance. 

“I’ll be right out!”

Zuko’s head jerks up, quickly taking in his surroundings. He’d been too panicked to care where he was going when he first flung himself inside, but now he sees that he’s ducked into a small but cozy bakery. The entire place is decorated in muted sunset oranges and yellows, and the counter is lined with various delectable-looking pastries, many of which Zuko has never seen before. Curiously, he takes a step closer and peers down at what appears to be a custard-filled pastry, though Zuko has never seen orange custard before. 

“It’s mango filling,” the voice from earlier says, much closer than before. 

Zuko lets out an undignified cry as he leaps away from the counter, startled. He jerks his head up, hood falling away, and his amber eyes instantly fall upon the only other person in the small shop. A young man is standing behind the counter, a tray of steaming pastries in hand, an apron draped over his slender figure. He’s a bit taller than Zuko, with lively grey eyes and a shiny bald head upon which a pale blue arrow has been tattooed. Upon further inspection, Zuko notices two more arrows trailing along the bare skin of his forearms. It’s a pretty unique look, especially for someone in such a small town like this, but it suits the man well. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you!” The man laughs, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Want to try one?” 

Zuko’s eyes flicker from the man’s face to the tray he’s now holding out to him, then back up. His brows furrow. Does this man not know who he is? “Um,” he starts awkwardly, “how much?”

“On the house,” the man says with a cheerful smile. “You’re probably exhausted from filming all day, huh? Pick whatever you want.” As he speaks, he pulls on a pair of gloves and begins placing the tray’s contents onto an empty space on the counter, humming quietly to himself. 

Zuko stares blankly at him for a moment. So he  _ does _ know. It would be hard not to, what with the fact that this is a rather small town and Zuko is one of the biggest names in the film industry at the moment--but then, why is the man acting so  _ normal _ ? Zuko is used to being mobbed by people clamoring for autographs and photos the second he’s spotted anywhere in public, to business owners bending over backwards to accommodate him the second he steps inside their establishment. And yet this man, who has been presented with the incredibly rare opportunity to have a moment alone with Zuko, seems more concerned with restocking than with the movie star standing in front of him. 

It’s a shock to say the least, but not at all an unwelcome one. Zuko is used to being treated differently than others, to having everyone bustle around him in their desperate attempts to please him or garner his attention. It’s impossibly refreshing to not be fawned over, and it doesn't hurt that Aang is rather easy on the eye. Before he can think better of it, he finds himself tentatively approaching the counter to peer down at the selection of treats laid out before him. 

“Can I try one of those?” He asks as he points down at a perfectly round, golden-brown pastry labelled a sweet bun. 

“Sure,” the man smiles and leans down to grab one for him. Zuko peeks at his nametag while he’s distracted.  _ Aang.  _ “There you go,” he says as he places the bun on a napkin and hands it over. 

“Thanks.” Zuko says, fumbling around in his pockets for some cash. 

Aang shakes his head and smiles again, gentler this time. “It’s on me, remember? I can’t imagine how tired you must be, dealing with everything. Consider it my way of encouraging you to treat yourself every so often!” 

A blush forms on Zuko’s face, startled by the kindness in the man’s voice. It’s then that he realizes with a start just how  _ handsome _ the man in front of him is. He'd thought the man attractive from the start, but now he finds himself struck by the man's unusual charm.  Aang’s smile is like nothing he’s ever seen before, bright and carefree and so obviously genuine. Zuko has the sneaking suspicion that his celebrity status has nothing to do with Aang’s generosity, and that he’s in the habit of giving things away more often than he probably should. 

Unsure of how to respond to Aang’s sincerity, Zuko takes a bite of the sweet bun to save himself the trouble of responding. It tastes even better than it looks, sweet and soft and just a little warm. He lets out a satisfied little hum around the bite in his mouth, eyes fluttering closed as he savors the taste. When he opens them again he finds that Aang is leaning across the counter and beaming at him, eyes sparkling with excitement. 

“What do you think?!” He asks eagerly, his enthusiasm childlike in its earnestness. 

Zuko flushes lightly at their closeness. “It’s really good,” he says. When Aang’s grin widens and his eyes sparkle with pride, he quickly adds, “I-I’ll take some more! For the crew.”

“Sure!” Aang beams. “Do you just want the sweet buns?”

“Um.” Zuko says awkwardly. He hadn’t really thought that far ahead--he’d just wanted to keep Aang smiling like that for a little longer. Looking down at the array of confections before him, though, he realizes that there are countless delectable-looking things before him. “How about a mix?”

Aang nods and retrieves a box. Zuko isn’t quite sure what to pick, so Aang points out some of his favorites and adds them to his order. They’ve only gotten halfway through his order when a cacophony of voices sound from outside, loud enough to be heard from the shop. 

“C’mon, he has to be around here somewhere!” Someone cries loudly. 

Zuko’s head jerks up, eyes widening. He’d been so caught up in the moment he’d nearly forgotten he was still on the run from a horde of desperate fans. Aang seems to feel the same, if the surprise on his face as he meets Zuko’s gaze is any indication. 

“I’ll check in there!” Another fan cries from outside. 

The voice is still far away enough that Zuko could probably make a break for it, but the idea of leaving so soon after meeting the only person who’s treated him normally in months makes him hesitate. Still, he knows he can’t be discovered. If one fan finds him he’ll be swarmed in no time, and then his meeting with Aang will be over anyway. His mind is reeling as he tries to think of a solution, but there’s no time. 

The doorbell chimes, interrupting his thoughts, and Zuko makes an incredibly stupid split-second decision. Aang watches, mouth agape, as he plants his hands down on the counter and  _ vaults  _ himself over it. He ducks down the second his feet have hit the floor, hoping against hope that whoever walked in hadn’t seen him. 

“Hi there!” Aang exclaims cheerfully. “How can I help you?”

“Um, hi. Did you see Prince Zuko run past here at all?” 

Zuko cringes at the nickname, cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Fans had taken to calling him that following his most famous role, wherein he’d played a Prince. He’s been trying to shake the nickname for years now, but has never been able to. 

“No, sorry,” says Aang sympathetically. “I hope you find him, though!”

The girl lets out a dejected sigh. “Yeah, me too… Wait, is that mango sweet bread?”

“It sure is!” Aang says, already reaching down to retrieve one for her. “On the house,” he tells her as he passes the treat over. 

“Wow, really? Thanks, I’ll tell my friends about you!” With that, she’s running back out the door, the bell chiming to signal her exit. 

“She’s gone,” Aang says with a little huff of laughter as he peers down at Zuko, still huddled behind the counter with his cheeks aflame. He offers a hand to the man, who accepts it and allows himself to be pulled back to his feet. His skin tingles where it made contact with Aang's, and he finds himself wanting to reach out for the man again though there's no reason to. 

“Thanks,” Zuko says, embarrassed now that he realizes how close he is to Aang. Not to mention that he’d just jumped over his counter. “And, um, sorry.” 

“It’s no problem. That was the most excitement I’ve seen all day!” Aang laughs cheerfully. He goes back to filling up Zuko’s box, saying, “you can go out the back entrance, if you want. Less chance of being spotted from there.”

Zuko's heart sinks. “Sure." The practical part of him knows that he can’t stay here forever, staring at Aang, but he still he wants to. He’s a little disappointed when Aang finishes and places a lid over his order, then slides the box toward him. 

“How much?” 

“No charge,” Aang tells him smoothly. When Zuko opens his mouth to protest, he says, “seriously. It’s been a little slow today, but this place gets crazy on the weekends thanks to you. I’ve never seen it so packed until you guys started filming here! This is the least I can do to thank you for all the business.”

“Can it really be called a business if you give everything away?” Zuko teases, and Aang laughs, the sound loud and breezy and beautiful, sweet music to Zuko’s ears. 

In the end, Zuko begrudgingly accepts Aang’s offer, although he still doesn’t like the idea of taking anything for free from a man who has already shown him so much kindness. Aang’s smile makes his head feel fuzzy, and he finds himself acquiescing when Aang insists that no payment is necessary. He takes the box in his arms and allows himself to be led to the back door, which Aang opens for him. 

“It was good to meet you, Zuko,” says Aang with a fond smile. “I’ll definitely go see your movie when it comes out!” 

Zuko flushes red and nods. He isn’t sure what to say, so he just murmurs another sheepish ‘thank you’ as he ducks through the door and into a secluded alley. Just as he’s about to walk off, though, he stops and turns back to Aang. 

“Hey,” he starts, keeping his eyes on the ground. “U-Um, how much would it cost to get your phone number?”

For a moment Aang just stares, bewildered, and Zuko feels like an idiot. Then a wide grin splits across his face and he extracts a pen from a pocket on his apron. He steps forward until there’s hardly any space between them and quickly scrawls a string of numbers down onto the lid of the box. 

Then he lifts his gaze up to meet Zuko’s and beams. “On the house.”


End file.
